Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils



May 16, 1933. o.c. B REwsTER AL 1'909i335 APPARATUS Fox TREAT'INGTVHYDROCARBN orgs A Filed Marchm'. 1928 'a/zdenser Ere ez'ver A'. K NN f7? ven-Z015,

Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OSWALD C. BREWSTER AND WILLIAM M. PERRY, OF CASPER, WYOMING, SSIS-NOIRS TO STANDARD OIL'COMPANY, OF WHITING, INDIANA, .A CORPORATION 0F INDIANA Application led liarch 22, 1928. Serial N o. 263,766.

`The present invention relates to improve- ,ments in apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils, and will be fully understood from the following description, illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which apparatus for carrying the invention into eect is dlagrammatically illustrated.

The processes described herein are claimed in our co-pending application Serial No.

l@ 263,676 now U. S Patent 1,830,925.

Referring more particularly to thedrawing, A. indicates a still in which .the oxidizing operation is carried on; B indicates a pipe still; and C, a flash drum.

compartment 2 and) compartment 3, and the two compartments communicate with each other through the overflow pipe 4 with which the partition 1 is provided. By means of the overflow pipe 4, which projects upwardly into chamber 3, a body of liquid may be held in the bottom of compartment 3. Compartment 2 is provided with a draw-o pipe 5, a perforated pipe 6 through which rair or other oxygen-containing gas may be introduced into the still, and a pipe coil 7 located exteriorly to, the still and communicating therewith through pipes 8 and 9. Pipes 8 and 9 are each equipped with valves by which communication with the still may be cut off. A pump 10 may be employed to circulate oil from the compartment 2 through pipe 8 and the coil 7 and back linto the still through iCompartment 3 is equipped Withba-flies 11 which are preferably inclined downwardly so that the fresh oil which is introduced near the top of the chamber through pipe 12`may be caused to follow a zigzag path through the length of the compartment. Vapors are drawn olf through vapor line 13 and condensed in the condenser 14 from which the condensate flows into the receiver 15. The receiver is provided with a gas release line l16 and a liquid draw-off 17.

Both compartments of the still A are equipped with man-holes 18 which are closed by plates 19. Through thetwo man-holes,

the still may be cleaned when desired. Still A is preferably lagged.

The Sdu A is divided by partition 1 into- The pipe still B communicates with the lower portion of compartment 3 through pipe line 20. Pipe 2O is provided with a valve 21 and a pump 22 which may be employed to force material withdrawn from compartment 3 through the pipe still and into the flash drum C. A steam line 23 joins pipe 20. It is preferred, however, to introduce steam at an intermediate point in pipe still B.

The flash drum C communicates with the pipe still B through pipe line 24. The drum i is equipped with a spreader-cone 25 and a vapor line 26. The vapors may be drawn off through the vapor line 26 and condenser 27.,`

and the condensate recovered in the receiver drum 28, which is equipped with gas release line 29 andliqiid draw-off line 30. The ash drum C is also equipped with a residuum draw-off line 31 through which unvaporized material from the bottom of the flash drum may be returned to compartment 2. The draw-olf line is provided with a valve 32.

In the operation of the process, feed stock enters compartment 3 of the still A through line 12 rand afteriilling the bottom portion of the compartment, overflows into compartment 2, the valve 21 in line 20 preferably being closed. When the compartment 2 has been filled to the point at which pump 10 may take suction' through line 8, the oil is circulated through the heating coil 7 until the oil has been brought to a suitable temperature, say 600 to 650"v F. or higher, at which oxidation will begin on the supply ofkair to the still. When the oil in the still has reached a suitable temperature, air is supplied through the line 6 in such volume as to maintain they desired temperature in the still. A

Circulation of theoilthrough the heating coil 7 may then be discontinued. llt is preferred to supply fresh oil continuously through pipe 12so that the descending stream of oil which follows a zig-zag course along the baflies 11 makes contact with the vapors that are generated in compartment 2 and pass into compartment 3, through the overl'iow ine 4.

The fresh oil is thus stripped of its light/est ends which, together with the lighter frac-p tions of the vapors from'compartment 2, pass F., to produce a gas oil distillate.

up through vapor line 13, are condensed in condenser 14; and recovered in receiver l5. The heavier fractions of the vapors from compartment 2 arecondensed and returned with the stripped feed stock to the pool in the bottoni of compartment 3. From the body of oil thus formed, a stream of oil is pumped through pipe still B in which the temperature of the oil is raised to any desired high temperature as, for example, about 800-o Steam may be introduced into the oil from line 23 just before it enters the pipe still. rIhe highly heated oil and steam, after leaving the pipe still B, pass through line 24 and are discharged preferably upon a spreader-cone 25. Vapors generated in the Hash drinn pass through vapor line 26, are condensed in coils 27 and recovered in receiver 28. The residuumis drawn olf through line 31 and returned to compartment 2 where it is subjected to the oxidation operation. Material in the bottom of compartment 2 may be withdrawn continuously or intermittently through the'valve controlled residuum line 5. If desired, the valve 21 in line 20 may be kept closed and the operation carried on without using the pipe still and Hash drum.

In this method of operation the excess of the stripped feed stock and condensed heavier fractions of the vapors, which form the pool in the bottom of compartment 3, may pass into the oxidizing chamber 2 through the overflow pipe 4.

The return line 31 from the Hash drum is preferably lagged so that the material returned therefrom to compartment 2 may retain as much of its heat as possible. If the oil is raised to high temperatures in the pipe still and the hot unvaporized -portions returned directly in a lagged conduit to the oxidation chamber, the added heat assists materially in keeping the oil in compartment 2 at the temperature at which the oxidizing operation may be carried on.

The process is particularly useful in running to coke certain refractory stocks. such as the black oils of Wyoming. It is well known, that in the distillation of such stocks, the gas oil cut obtained is dirty and unsatisfactory as charging stock for a pressure still, since the oxidation carries by entrainment large amounts of coky material into the vapor. In the operation of the process herein disclosed, a charging stock for pressure stills-is obtained that is quite satisfactory. The coky material is trapped by the fresh feed in compartment 3 along with the heavier gas oil fractions which are condensed. Also, on continuous distillation with steam in pipe still B the gas oil isv redistilled and recovered as clean distillate from C, while the coky material reincassa erably continueduntil compartment 2 is full of coke.

It is not intended that the details of the process, as above set forth, shall be regarded as limitations upon the scope of the invention except in so far as included in the accompanying claims.

IVe claim:

l. In apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils and involvingtreating the heavy residues with oxygen, a chamber, means for passing oil to said chamber and permitting escape of vapors therefrom, means for heating the oil to a temperature at which oxidation occurs in the presence of an oxidizing gas,

means for supplying an oxidizing gas in said chamber, a second chamber, means for introducing fresh oil into the second chamber, means for contacting therein with fresh oil the vapors from the first mentioned chamber, thereby condensing the heavier portions of said vapors, a pipe still, means for passing said condensed material and fresh oil from the second chamber through said pipe still, a Hash drum, means for supplying thereto the oil from said pipe still, means for removing vapors from said Hash drum, and means for returning the unvaporized material from said flash drum directly to said first mentioned chamber.

2. In apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils and involving treating the heavy residues with oxygen, a chamber, means for passing oil to said chamber and permitting escape of vapors therefrom, means for heating the oil to a temperature at which oxidation occurs in the presence of an oxidizing gas, means for supplying an oxidizing gas to said chamber, a second chamber; means in said second chamber for contacting fresh oil with the vapors from said first chamber, means for passing the unvaporized portion of said fresh oil through a pipe still, means for introducing steam into the oil, a Hash drum, means for conducting said unvapoiand vapor: in the other direction to one ofl the chambers from the other, means for rai'sing the temperature of the oil to atemperature 'at which oxidation occurs in the presence of an oxidizing gas, means for supplying an oxidizing gas to the lower chamber, lneans for introducing fresh oil into the upper chamber, means for contacting vapors p-assing through said first mentioned means ICO into the upper chamber with said fresh oil, means for maintaining a pool of oil in said second chamber, means for passing a stream of oil from said pool through a pipe still, a Hash drum; means for supplying oil from said pipe still to said Hash drum, means for withdrawing vapors from said Hash drum,

and means for returning the unvaporized may overHow into said Hrst chamber, means for heating the oil in said Hrst chamber'to a temperature'at whlch oxidation occurs 1n the presence of an oxldizmg gas, means for suppl ing an oxidizing gas to said first cham er, means for contacting vapors with said fresh oil in said second chamber, means for passing a stream of oil from said pool through a pipe still, a Hash drum, means for passing oil from said p-ipe still into vsaid Hash drum, means for removing vapors from said Hash drum, and means for returning the unvaporized material in said Hash drum t0 said Hrst chamber. 2

5. In apparatus` for treating hydrocarbon oils and involving treating the heavy residues with oxygen, a still comprising a first chamber and a second chamber, separated by a partition overflow means for supplying oil to said Hrst chamber, said means serving also to maintain a body of oil in said second chamber, means for heating the oil in the first chamber, means for introducing fresh oil into said second' chamber, means for contacting therein the vapors passing throughsaid overflow means from said Hrst chamber with the fresh oil in said second chamber, means for withdrawing oil from the second chamber, means for vintroducingl steam into the withdrawn oil, means for passing sai oil and steam through av pipe still and a Hash drum, means for removing the vapors evolved in said Hash drum, and means for returning the unvaporized portions of the oil i to said Hrst chamber- 6. In apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils and involving ,treating the heavy residues with oxygen, an oxidizing chamber, means for passing oil to said chamber and permitting escape of vapors therefrom', means for heating the oil in said oxidizing chamber to a temperature at which oxidation occurs in the presence of an oxidizing gas, means for 'supplying an oxidizing gas to said oil, a`re- Hux chamber, means for supplying fresh oil thereto, means for contacting the vapors from said oxidizing chamber with said fresh oil in said reHux chamber, means for maintaining a pool of oil in said reHux chamber, a pipe still, a Hash drum, means for passing oil from said pool through said pipe still and into said Hash ldrum, means for removing the vapors-from said Hash drum, and means for returning the unvaporized material therein to said oxidizing chamber.

7 In apparatus fortreating hydrocarbon oils and involving treating the heavy residues with oxygen, an oxidizing chamber, means for passing oil to said chamber and permitting escape of vapors therefrom, means for heating said oil to a temperature at which oxidation occurs in the presence of an oxidizing gas, means for supplying an oxidizing gas in said oil, a second chamber, means for supplying fresh oil therein, means for contacting vapors from said oxidizing chamber with fresh oil in said second chamber whereby said oil is strippedof some of its light fractions, a pipe still, means for passing said stripped oil through said pipe still, means. for introducing steam into said stripped oil being passed through the pipe still, a Hash drum, means for discharging oil fromv said pipe still into said Hash drum, means for removing the vapors therefrom, and means for returning the unvaporized portions directly to said oxidizing chamber.

8. In apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils and involving treatingthe heavy residue with oxygen, a still comprising two chambers separated by a partition, an open overHow pipe between the chambers and extending into the upper 'chamber so as to maintain therein a body of oil and to permit vapors to pass therethrough, means for introducing oil into the upper chamber so thaty it may overHow through the overflow pipe into the lower chamber, means for withdrawing a portion of the body of oil in, said ,upper chamber, means for'heating the withdrawn portion of the oil, means for Hashing the withdrawn portionl of the oil, means for heating the oil in said lower chamber until a temperature is reached at which oxidation will d'v take place in the presence of an oxidizing gas, means for supplying an oxidizing gas to said lower chamber, means for contacting vapors from said llower chamber .passin through said overHow pipe with oil in said upper chamber, thereby condensing the heavier portions of said vapors, means for removing thelighter portions from said upper chamber and means for removing residuum from said lower chamber.

Y 9. In apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils and involving treating the heavy residue with oxygen, a still comprising two chambersv separated by a partition, an open overHow pipe between the chambers and extending into the upperchamber so ,as to maintain Cil therein a body of oil and to permit vapors to pass therethrough, means for introducing oil into the upper chamber so that it may overflow through the overflow pipe into the lower chamber, means for withdrawing a portion of the body of oil in said upper chamber, means for heating the withdrawn portionof the oil, means for Hashing the Withdrawn portion of' the oil, means for heating the oil in said lower chamber until a temperature is reached at which oxidation will take place in the presence of an oxidizing gas, means for supplying an oxidizing gas to said lower Chamber, means for contacting vapors from said lower Chamber passing through said overflow pipe with oil in said upper chamber, thereby condensing the heavier portions ot said vapors7 means for removing the lighter portions from said upper chamber., means for removing residuum from said lower chamber and means for returning the unvaporized portions of the oil from the flashing means to the lower chamber.

ln witness whereof we have hereunto set i our hands this 15th day of March, 1928.

OSWALD C. BREWSTER. WlLLlAM M. PERRY.

reeasea 

